The Sound of Your Heart
by insaneantics21
Summary: AU: Rachel has practically been living in a bubble her entire life. Thanks to her numerous allergies she's rarely allowed outside. When she's eight she makes her first real friend but there's more than just Rachel's back yard fence standing in their way.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** I don't know why I like making Rachel suffer, I really don't. But I just couldn't resist this idea when it popped into my head. The full title of this is actually The Sound of Your Heart Racing Faster for Me is What Will Save Me but the website has a limit on title length, apparently.

* * *

**Part I**

Night time was Rachel's favorite time. It had been since she could remember. Then again, she was only eight and couldn't remember much but she knew that night time was her favorite time. She especially loved night time in the summer and fall because it meant she could go out and catch fireflies. It meant she could go out, period. In winter it was always too cold, her Dad and Daddy said. In spring there was too much pollen (unless it had just rained). There was pollen in the summer, too, but not as much. Her fathers always checked the pollen counts before they let her go out but days when she couldn't were fewer and farther in between in summer.

The tiny, frail looking brunette always watched the TV in her room closely when it got close to dark. Her Daddy had put up the camera for her last Hanukkah so she could watch the back yard and watch the sun go up and down. She waited until she couldn't see anything before she smiled and grabbed her jar she used to catch the fireflies.

"Daddy, it's time!" she squealed as she bound down the stairs.

The pale man smiled and nodded. "Let's go, baby."

He slipped Rachel's boots on her and helped her out the back door. He walked around with her lighting up the various insect-repelling lamps positioned around the yard so the girl could see where she was going and not run as high a risk of getting bit or stung.

"Remember, no rolling in the grass."

"I know, Daddy."

Rachel ventured out into the enormous (well, it looked enormous to a tiny eight-year-old) back yard in search of the tiny bugs. She spotted one and snuck up on it, just as she'd been taught. She waited for it to come to her and then carefully trapped it inside of the jar and put the ring with mesh fabric instead of lid over the opening. She peered into the jar and smiled and moved to find another.

"Sarah!" Rachel stopped at a voice from the other side of the fence. "Sarah, I wanna look!"

"No, Quinn! It's my jar! Get your own jar!"

"Sarah!"

Clutching her jar, Rachel slowly walked over to the fence that reached the sky and peered through the space between the wooden slats. She saw two girls, it was hard to really see them because of the lack of light but she saw one big and one little. The little one was attempting to grab a jar of fireflies from the big one.

Rachel had heard her Dad and Daddy talk about the new neighbors and how they moved in after the school year let out. The words "school year" didn't really have any meaning to the young brunette. She knew it was almost firefly time when they'd talked about it, though.

"Fine, I'll get my own jar!"

Rachel turned her attention back to the fence and looked through. The little girl was coming closer. There was a firefly in Rachel's line of sight on the other side of the fence and she knew the girl was going to try and catch it. She watched quietly, as not to scare the insect, as the little girl jumped at it and missed. She sighed. Rachel opened her jar just a little and stuck her tongue out, waiting for it to come through the slats. It did and she successfully caught it.

"I got it," she said out loud.

The girl on the other side of the fence jumped.

"Who's there?"

"Rachel Berry. I'm eight."

"Quinn Fabray. I'm eight, too."

"How did you catch it?"

"My Daddy says you gotta wait for it."

"Oh. How come I never seen you before?"

"I don't go outside when the sun's out." Rachel sniffled a little and whimpered at the sensation of something trickling out of her nose. She whined when she wiped it away and saw red. "I have to go," she said quickly before dropping her jar and running to her Daddy.

They got the nosebleed under control fairly quickly, just like always. Her Daddy said maybe the pollen count was too high that day and he should've checked again before they went outside. Rachel just sighed and wished she could go back to talk to Quinn. It was bath time and bedtime anyway, he said. Rachel just sighed and nodded.

When she got up in the morning her Dad was home and she greeted him with a hug and he got her a bowl of chunked up fruit for breakfast. Rachel savored the taste of the fresh fruits while she watched her Dad measure out her allergy shots and get her vitamins sorted out. She sat patiently while he gave her the injections. She barely winced anymore. She took her pills like a good girl and finished her breakfast before settling down to read and try a little math.

After lunch consisting of a fresh vegetable medley, a soynut butter sandwich on organic bread, an apple, and a glass of soymilk, Rachel's Daddy came home and greeted her and her Dad with a kiss. Rachel giggled as he tickled her stomach and took her to the living room to get her settled on the couch for a nap.

"Can I go out tonight, Daddy?" she asked him with her bottom lip stuck out, pouting.

"We'll see, baby. Quiet time now, okay?"

Rachel nodded and the man kissed her on the forehead before she drifted into sleep. When she woke she yawned and smiled at her Daddy who was napping in the recliner. She grinned and crawled up onto his lap. His mouth twitched, trying to hide a smile, and he let out a loud snore. Rachel giggled and poked his cheek.

"Daddy, nap time's over!"

"Five more minutes!"

Rachel giggled again and bounced a few times. "Piano time!"

The man smiled and sighed. Rachel squealed as his eyes fluttered open and he took each of her tiny hands into his own.

"Is it that time already, monster?"

Rachel nodded. Her Daddy smiled and picked her up to take her to the upright piano settled against the wall. The girl sat up straight and put her hands on the keys to go through her simple scales. Her Daddy praised her good work when she didn't make any mistakes and he walked her through a few simple songs. Rachel let him take over and she sang along as his fingers danced along the keys.

"Perfect pitch, as always!" he said.

Rachel grinned and furrowed her eyebrows at the rumbling of her stomach.

"Snack time?"

Rachel nodded and bounced to the kitchen. She pointed to an orange and her Daddy peeled it for her and took the slices to the living room and settled Rachel on the couch watching The Disney Channel while he went upstairs to clean her room and change the filters on the multiple air purifiers placed around the house.

When the filter in her room was changed, Rachel bounced into her bedroom to check on the happenings in the back yard. She turned on her TV and studied it. There was a squirrel bouncing around and a few birds flittered across the screen. She spotted the jar she'd left next to the fence. She grinned at a rabbit that hopped slowly across the yard and stopped to eat a few blades of grass. From outside her window she heard a squeal and she jumped a little and looked even though she knew she wouldn't be able to see much of anything through the darkened window. She squinted hard as she walked close to it and could barely make out the house next door.

Her Daddy helped her with a little math lesson that day, insisting she needed to keep her brain going even though it was summer. Rachel obliged and sat with him in the kitchen as they counted various things and put them together and counted some more. Rachel started getting restless, knowing it was almost nightfall. Her Daddy sighed and took her into his den and they sat at the computer to check the pollen counts. Rachel bounced a little when he said they were low enough that she could go out.

The first thing the young brunette did was run to retrieve her jar. She shook it a few times but the fireflies didn't move. She shrugged and dumped out the jar.

"Rachel?" Quinn's voice came from the other side of the fence.

"Quinn?"

"How come you ran away?"

"I had a nosebleed 'cause of the pollen."

"Oh. How come you don't come out in the day?"

"Polymorphous light eruption," Rachel stated.

"I…what's that?"

"It means the sun hurts me. I'm allergic to it, that's what the doctors say."

"My sister's allergic to peanuts."

Rachel sighed. "I'm allergic to everything."

"Everything?"

"Yeah, everything. How come I never saw you before?"

"We just moved here from Cleveland."

"I went there to the doctor a couple times. It's the only time I get to go anywhere."

"You don't go to school?"

"No. My two dads teach me. They're doctors, too."

"Oh."

Rachel fidgeted with her all organic cotton shirt and tucked her lower lip between her teeth.

"What's school like?" she asked, effectively getting the topic away from her familial situation.

"I've only been to school in Cleveland but it was fun. There's lots of kids and teachers."

"Do you learn about music?"

"Yeah."

"My Daddy is teaching me to play the piano and he says I have a voice like an angel."

"Will you sing…"

"Quinnie! Quinnie, it's time to come inside."

Rachel sighed and even though she knew Quinn couldn't see it she gave half a smile.

"I have to go. Will you come back tomorrow?"

"Depends on the pollen count."

"I guess I'll talk to you whenever."

"Yeah. Bye, Quinn."

It was like that all summer. As soon as the sun went down Rachel hurried to the fence, learning to bring a sheet with her to spread out on the grass so she could sit down. They would talk until their parents called them in. Quinn asked if she could come over and Rachel asked her dads. They shook their heads.

"I don't think her parents would let her, sweetie."

Rachel told Quinn this and the blonde asked her parents and they did indeed say no but refused to give any kind of explanation. So the girls continued talking through the fence. Rachel would talk about her allergies and the doctors she'd seen and sometimes she'd sing to her new friend. Quinn talked about going to Disney World and playing with other kids and having a dog and an older sister.

"Will you ever get better?" Quinn asked one night after Rachel had spent thirty six hours in the hospital and another week inside thanks to three wasp stings. Her epinephrine shot hadn't done the trick that time.

"The doctors say I might grow out of it. Nobody really knows."

"I wish I could save you."

Rachel sighed. "Me, too."

"I start school next week. I'll tell you everything, I promise. I even got a notebook to write everything down."

Rachel beamed.

True to her word, every night the week after school started Quinn would sit and read out of her journal and Rachel would listen with excitement as she talked about music, art, gym, library, recess, and everything else Quinn could think of to write down.

"I made new friends," Quinn said a few weeks after school had started. Rachel could hear the excitement in her voice. "Santana and Brittany. Brittany invited me to a sleepover on Friday. I'll write everything down!"

Rachel didn't even ask to go outside on Friday night. She waited until Saturday and took her sheet out. Quinn talked about the movies they watched and how they stayed up late and ate lots of junk food, most of which Rachel had only seen on TV commercials but never tried thanks to her all-organic diet.

"I invited them to my house next Friday. You can talk to them."

Rachel beamed at the thought of more friends. "I can't wait!"

Friday night the brunette slipped a jacket on before she went outside with her sheet. She waited by the fence until she heard voices and she grinned.

"Why can't we stay inside?" one voice whined. "Britt, don't you want to stay inside?"

"I don't know."

"Rachel?"

Finally, a familiar voice.

"Quinn!"

There was an audible gasp that wasn't Quinn's.

"You talk to _the freak_?" the voice Rachel had first heard echoed loudly. "Why would you talk to her?"

"Shut up, Santana! Rachel's nice!"

"My brother said she's a freak and they only let her out at night 'cause she's deformed or something."

"I can't go out because…"

"My cousin said he saw her once," the other voice, Brittany, said. Rachel waited for the follow-up but there wasn't one, just silence.

Rachel sniffled but this time, it wasn't because of a nosebleed.

"Come on, Britt, we're going back inside."

"Quinn?"

"I'm sorry, Rachel. I'll come back tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Rachel whimpered.

For the first time in her young life, Rachel almost didn't want to go outside the next night. But she could and she knew she needed to soak up what little outside time she had left before it got too cold for her to handle. She spread out her sheet on the grass and waited quietly until she heard the soft voice she'd grown to love so, so much.

"I'm sorry about yesterday."

"I'm not a freak, am I?"

"No. Santana's just mean."

"Are you still friends with her?"

Quinn sighed. "My mom said I should be because they go to our church. But…I still want to be your friend."

Rachel smiled a little at this. "I want to be your friend, too. You're…you're the only friend I've ever had."

"I won't bring them back, I promise."

Rachel heard her Daddy call at her that it was time to come inside.

"Quinn?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you moved here."

"Me too, Rachel."

The brunette crawled into bed that night, uncharacteristically solemn. Her Daddy took notice and rubbed her back as he sang to her.

"Is everything okay, sweetie?" he asked after he finished "Butterfly Kisses".

"Daddy…am I a freak?" Rachel's voice cracked on the last word and her Daddy gasped.

"You most certainly are not, baby girl. Did that Quinn girl say that to you?"

Rachel shook her head. "It was another girl she brought over."

"You're not a freak, baby. You're special, okay? Never let anyone tell you any different."

In just a few short weeks, Rachel's dads deemed it too cold for her to be outside anymore. She wrote a note and politely asked them to stick it in the fence. Her Daddy came back and told her that Quinn said she'd be waiting for summer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part II**

Winters, springs, summers, and falls went by for Rachel. She kept getting tested a few times a year and she was always disappointed when the doctors told her she wasn't getting any better. They tried to gradually introduce sunlight but it only ended in painful rashes and blisters that lasted for days. They re-tried a suit made from UV blocking material that they'd tried when Rachel was younger but had an allergic reaction to. The new material was supposedly hypoallergenic. Not to Rachel.

The brunette gave up and just waited for her daily round of allergy shots, although she wasn't sure what the point was since they didn't seem to be doing their job. They did stop when Rachel turned thirteen because, as the brunette knew, the point of the shots was to at least lessen the symptoms and it obviously wasn't working. They put her instead on the highest dose of preventative medicine they could. It made her tired and a little nauseated but it let her go outside and talk to Quinn.

Summer nights were still Rachel's favorite times. The same sheet seemed to get smaller but it was only because she was getting bigger. As she got older she was allowed to stay out a little later. She would spread out on her back and she and Quinn would talk about anything and everything as they looked up at the sky. When Quinn started learning about astronomy, Rachel made her dads pick up lesson books on it as well. They would point out different constellations and talk about the stories behind them.

It seemed like Rachel blinked and she was fifteen. All the previous year Quinn had talked about high school and cheerleading and the evil coach, Sue Sylvester. She talked about how she, Santana, and Brittany were planning on dominating school in the upcoming years with their status as Cheerios and her title as captain. She talked about Finn Hudson and how even though he was kind of an idiot he was good for her image and kind of sweet.

It happened more and more that Rachel found notes slipped through the fence that Quinn was sorry she couldn't be there that night but there was a party or a date or something she had to go to. Rachel understood, she couldn't exactly expect Quinn's life to revolve around her but it didn't stop the little sting of jealousy when Quinn talked about all of her friends. None of it stung more than Finn Hudson, though. Rachel had seen enough movies and listened to Quinn enough to know that she had a crush on her best friend. Unfortunately, with Quinn's interest in boys, Rachel knew she had no chance. So Rachel did what she knew good friends did and listened to Quinn talk about Finn Hudson and shoved her jealousy away.

"Quinn?"

"Hm?"

There had been about five minutes of silence between the two after they'd exhausted all of the constellations that could be seen and Quinn had talked about upcoming Cheerios camp.

"You realize that we've been doing this for seven years now…and I have no idea what you look like?"

Quinn chuckled. "I don't know what you look like, either."

"I have a general idea of your height and obviously you're athletic due to your position as captain of a cheerleading squad. What else?"

"I'm blonde, just like my parents and my sister."

"And your eyes?"

"Hazel-ish? A little green…I have this freckle thing on my right iris."

Rachel smiled. "They sound very fascinating, your eyes."

"And yours?"

"Dark brown, both hair and eyes. It's not excruciatingly exciting, I know."

Rachel heard Quinn shift in the grass and her voice was closer to the fence when she spoke. "Sounds like an amazing combination to me."

Rachel felt her face get a little warm but she knew it wasn't an allergic reaction to anything. She was blushing.

"Thank you, Quinn."

"I could come over…right now. The fence isn't as big as it used to be. Well…I'm bigger. You know what I mean."

Rachel giggled. "I…I want you do but I'm not sure how wise that would be considering you've been laying on the grass and your clothing could contain fabric I'd have an allergic reaction to."

"Why would my clothing matter?"

"Because I'm not sure I could resist the urge to hug you."

Quinn shifted again and Rachel could tell the girl was flat on her back when she responded.

"Someday," Quinn whispered.

It was silent for the rest of the night until Rachel's Daddy called her in. She sat up and took her lower lip between her teeth and dared to do something she'd never done before.

"Quinn?"

"Yes, Rachel?"

Rachel slipped her fingers through the small space between the wood slats of the fence. She gasped when Quinn's fingers tangled with her own for just a moment before Rachel was called for again.

"I'll be at Cheerios camp next week, it's in Los Angeles. I'll write everything down, I promise."

"See you in a week, Quinn."

Rachel didn't bother going out for the next week. It was too hot, anyway, and the nights were sticky and warm. The week went by agonizingly slow but when it ended, Rachel was ecstatic. She grabbed her sheet the second the sun disappeared and ran to the fence to wait. She waited. She sang softly to herself and waited even longer. She had no idea she'd fallen asleep until a hand was on her shoulder.

"Sweetie? I don't think she's coming tonight."

Rachel sighed and looked up at the Fabray house. The windows were all dark but she knew that didn't mean anything since Quinn's room had a street facing window.

The next evening Rachel waited again. She waited for hours and was on the verge of giving up when a soft voice carried through the fence.

"R-Rachel?"

"Quinn! Quinn, I was worried last night…is everything alright?"

"I don't know."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

There came no response but a rustling on the other side of the fence. Rachel peered through to try and figure out what Quinn was doing but there was no sign of her until something hit the fence. Rachel jumped back but before she could inquire what happened, Quinn landed on the ground in front of her with ease.

"Quinn, you can't just…"

Rachel was cut off by two soft hands cupping her face and Quinn much closer than she should've been. She stepped back a few times; Quinn followed and moved her hands to Rachel's waist. She walked back until the girl still holding onto her was illuminated by a lantern. Rachel's eyes welled with tears as she looked into the hazel globes belonging to her best friend for the very first time. Rachel reached up and brushed a few stray strands of blonde hair out of the girl's face and her small hand came to rest on Quinn's neck.

"Why are you crying, Rachel?"

Rachel swallowed hard. "You're so beautiful."

The blonde scoffed. "No I'm not. I'm fat…and really stupid."

"That's asinine! You're gorgeous! And I happen to know for a fact that you're extremely intelligent. Our conversations are on a very high intellectual level."

"I mean…I mean I did something really stupid and it's why I wasn't here last night."

"What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay."

One of Quinn's hands left Rachel's waist only to reach up and gently brush away the girl's tears. All of Rachel's previous concerns about Quinn's clothing, soap, or other body products that could potentially cause an allergic reaction flew out of her mind at the feel of Quinn's skin against hers. She nuzzled into the girl's touch and wished it could never end.

"You're so pretty," Quinn whispered, pulling Rachel a little closer. "I should've come to you."

Rachel stared up at her friend in stunned silence until the blonde leaned down and pulled Rachel up for the pair to meet in a soft kiss.

"Quinn, I don't under-"

"I should've come to you," Quinn mumbled again before again pressing her lips to Rachel's.  
Rachel screwed her eyes shut and savored the kiss for as long as she could, for as long as Quinn would let her, for as long as her body would let her. She whimpered when the tightness in her chest started.

"I have to go," she gasped. "Epi…"

"What is it? What'd I do wrong?"

"Epi…"

Quinn gripped tight to Rachel's waist as she helped her as far as the patio. Rachel's Daddy met them at the door and looked back and forth from Quinn to his distressed daughter before gripping onto Rachel and taking her inside. He shut the sliding door behind them and Rachel stared through the glass at Quinn who remained on the patio with her eyes glued to the girl. Her Daddy dropped her to a kitchen chair, got out her epi pen and she cried out as he jabbed her outer thigh and the pair counted to five together, just like they always did. Quinn had her hand pressed to the glass and her eyes were glassy with tears.

"You're okay baby girl. You're okay." The man looked back toward the door and Quinn pulled her hand away and disappeared. He walked over, pulled the shade closed, and shook his head.

"It's not her fault, Daddy…"

"She shouldn't have come over here, Rachel! Look at what happened. You can't take risks like this…you can't."

"I think I love her. Sh-she kissed me."

"It won't work."

"How can you say that? You don't kno-"

"Remember when you were eight and she moved in? I went over there and introduced myself to the Fabrays and all but begged them to let Quinn come over. I told them we'd provide clothes and anything else they needed to ensure you wouldn't have any kind of reaction and so you could have a friend. Do you know what they said to me, Rachel? They said they'd heard about us, about your Dad and me. They said our lifestyle was disgusting and they didn't want their daughter exposed to that. They did compromise and allow her to keep talking to you but that was it because we all thought it would phase out. Now, do you really think the Fabrays are going to be nice and accepting of the fact that their daughter kissed another girl?"

"Daddy she…"

"I don't want her over here again, Rachel. There are a million different things that could've triggered your reaction tonight and I _don't_ intend on having to find out what it is when we have to take you in to the hospital because of her, do you understand?"

"I understand that, Daddy but Quinn…"

"Please don't make me lock the doors, Rachel. I don't want to have to do that. This is for your own safety, for your health…your _life_."

Rachel nodded as silence fell over the room. Her Daddy helped her up to bed and Rachel cried herself to sleep.

It was another month and a half before Rachel heard from Quinn. She sat out on her sheet, as per normal, and waited every single night. When she heard the sniffle come from the other side of the fence her heart sank.

"Quinn?"

"Hey…sorry it's been so long."

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Can…can I hold your hand? I rinsed mine with hot water to get rid of anything…I just…I need it right now."

Rachel reached through the fence and Quinn grasped her fingers.

"Tell me what's wrong, Quinn."

"I'm pregnant."

Rachel tightened her grip on Quinn's hand and her heart shattered. Not just because she thought maybe she and Quinn had something special (except for the whole fact of Quinn not being able to touch her without reaction) but because she knew that the road ahead for her best friend was going to be very difficult.

"H-how…Finn?"

"No…"

"Quinn, what happened?"

"Remember when I got back from Cheerios camp? All week it was nothing but Coach Sylvester telling us how fat we were and how horrible we looked. I ran into Finn's friend Puck at the gas station and one thing led to another and…and we slept together. Finn doesn't know and I don't know what to do…I…I don't know what to do, Rachel. My parents will kill me."

Rachel pulled her hand until Quinn's fingers were on her side of the fence. She placed a soft kiss to the digits and Quinn trailed her fingertips over Rachel's lips.

"I should've just come to you," Quinn sighed. "You always made everything better…even if you didn't know it. If I'd just come to you it never would've happened."

"My dads know almost everyone in the medical community…they could help you find a doctor to terminate-"

"No!" Quinn hissed. "I can't do that. I don't have enough money and…I just can't."

"Alright, I'm sorry." Rachel kissed Quinn's fingers again. "It was simply a suggestion."

"I wish I could see you again."

Rachel glanced back at her house and chewed her lower lip.

"Maybe you can. Come tomorrow night."

"I will, I promise."

Rachel didn't know how she was going to accomplish what she wanted to do but she knew she had to. She packed clothes, soap, shampoo, and towels in a bag and stared at it, wondering how she could quite possibly get it outside without her Daddy seeing. She paced her bedroom floor in thought before an idea hit her. As soon as nightfall came she snuck down the hall to the spare room and pried the window open. She threw the bag as hard as she could out into the back yard and raced downstairs to go outside, grabbing her sheet, and barely saying a word to the man in the living room.

Once outside, Rachel lit the lanterns around the yard and waited. Quinn appeared minutes later and Rachel threw the bag over the fence.

"Go shower," Rachel said. "Don't use anything but what I've given you."

"Okay. Back in a little bit."

Rachel spread out her sheet near one of the lanterns and then stared at the fence until there was the distinct sound of Quinn putting whatever she could up against the fence to climb over. She landed on the ground and followed Rachel back to the light of one of the lanterns. The brunette gasped at the sight before her, Quinn with wet hair and the too-small shirt clinging to her torso and the shorts showing off a vast expanse of skin.  
"You're so gorgeous," she whispered, reaching out and cupping the blonde girl's face.

"You won't say that in about six months," Quinn mumbled.

"You'll still be gorgeous."

"I really want to kiss you right now."

"Nothing's stopping you, Quinn."

Rachel smiled when Quinn tilted her head down to capture her lips. She wrapped her arms around the taller girl's back and pulled her in, their bodies flush against each other. Quinn darted her tongue out and Rachel opened her mouth to accept it. She prayed with everything she had that her body would let her have this and when nothing happened, no anaphylactic shock or hives, she smiled and held Quinn a little tighter. The only thing she noticed was that her heart was racing but she figured that it was probably not a bad thing. She pulled away only to gasp for air before diving back in and nipping, pulling, savoring Quinn's lips.

"I think I need to sit down," she said, finally pulling away.

Quinn's eyes widened. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Rachel smiled. "I'm wonderful…there's just an extensive amount of stimulation happening right now that my body isn't accustomed to." She dropped to the nearby sheet and pulled Quinn with her.

"Tell me if it's too much, okay?"

Rachel nodded and lay back, Quinn hovered over her with her arms on either side of Rachel's head and her legs on either side of Rachel's hips. Lips connected again and Rachel reached around Quinn's back and gripped onto her. Tongues dueled and Rachel groaned at one of Quinn's hands moving up her ribcage and stopping just under her breast.

"Rachel…" Quinn pulled away, breathing heavily. "Rachel…I lo-"

"Rachel!"

The brunette sat up quickly at the booming voice that came from the back door. As her Daddy approached she scrambled to stand up, Quinn followed and slipped her hand into Rachel's.

"Daddy I assure you that everything…"

"Inside."

"No." Her voice was a little weak but she wasn't backing down. "I love her."

"You're fifteen and you have no idea the repercussions of…"

"It's worth it!" Rachel shrieked. "Whatever the repercussions are, they're worth it!"

Quinn's grip tightened on her hand. "Mr. Berry, whatever you want me to do to prove…"

"I want you to go home, Quinn."

"I care about Rachel!"

"If you care about her then you'll go back over the fence and you'll leave her alone!"

"Daddy, I can choose for myself what I want!"

"Obviously not. I know you think you know what's best but you don't, Rachel. Your dad and I have been dealing with this since you were born and we're not about to lose you now! Go inside!"

"You don't want me to grow up!"

"We want you to be responsible! Inside. Now."

Rachel moved a little closer to Quinn and shook her head.

"You have three minutes to come inside," he growled before turning and walking back to the house.

Quinn wrapped her arms around the now trembling brunette. Rachel nuzzled her nose into Quinn's neck and let the tears flow.

"I love you, Quinn. I realize I have a tendency to be dramatic and overstate things but I mean it."

"I love you, too."

Rachel stayed in the girl's embrace until she heard her name being called. She reached up to press one last kiss against Quinn's lips. She didn't have to say that she probably wasn't going to be back anytime soon.

The next morning Rachel woke to the sound of power tools. When she went downstairs her fathers were at the back door installing new locks. There were new locks on all of the windows by the time the day had ended.

"It's for your own good," her Dad said.

"I don't understand why it is I'm not allowed to make my own choices, Dad."

"She doesn't understand what it takes to make sure you're safe. You're a teenager, Rachel, you'll get over this."

Rachel shook her head. "This is beyond overprotective! You're practically holding me hostage! It's unfair! Why can't you let me have this?"

"What happened to my little girl who wanted to stay safe?"

"She grew up," Rachel hissed. "She grew up and she wants her own damn life and it seems as though you can't deal with that! I'm not a little girl anymore!"

"Go upstairs, Rachel. This conversation is finished."

Rachel stormed upstairs and slammed her door shut, collapsed on her bed, and cried herself to sleep.

Another month and a half went by, Rachel didn't go out. She would occasionally turn on her TV and watch the back yard but that was the closest she got. She started refusing her schoolwork and music lessons because her heart wasn't in it. Her heart was with a blonde that was less than 100 yards away from her that she couldn't have.

One afternoon as she watched the back yard through her TV she spotted something. An envelope had been slipped through the fence and a bag had been tossed over. Rachel quickly bounced down the stairs and to the back door. She pulled the shade aside just a little, just enough to see out and found she wasn't seeing things.

"Daddy!" she called. "Daddy!"

Her father came rushing into the kitchen and Rachel, with pleading eyes, begged him to go outside and get the envelope. The man sighed and obliged, returning moments later with the envelope that had Rachel's name written on the front. He opened the envelope and spread out the singular sheet of paper on the kitchen counter for Rachel to read and set to work disinfecting the contents of the bag.

_Rachel,_

_I hope you get to see this…I don't know how else to get word to you._

_My parents found out about the baby and kicked me out. I'm living with Finn now, I still haven't told him about Puck…I'm just a coward I guess. I'm sure he'll find out eventually but I don't know what else to do right now. I don't know when or if I'll come back. I kept your shirt…I hope that's not creepy or anything. It was just the only thing I had. I meant it when I said I loved you, by the way._

_I guess this is goodbye for now. I hope not for too long._

_-Quinn_

Rachel sniffled as the tears slipped out of her eyes.

"I hope you're happy," she mumbled to her father. "Quinn got kicked out. I'll probably never see her again."

"Rachel…"

"I don't want to talk to you."

Rachel started doing her schoolwork again for the sole purpose of getting her GED so she wouldn't have to mess with anything anymore. She passed the test around the time she figured Quinn had delivered and she wondered what had become of the blonde and what would become of the child she was carrying. The summer went by and Rachel would occasionally venture into the back yard at night. She would listen for sounds from the other side but all that ever came was silence.

Online college classes sucked, Rachel decided. It's not that they were difficult it was that Rachel had no idea what she would even do with a college degree. If her dads had any way with it she'd be locked in that house forever. It was August, Quinn had for sure started back at school in her junior year. Rachel wondered every single day what the blonde was up to. In May she'd heard yelling come from the Fabray house and had been able to sneak a peek outside for a few seconds, long enough to see Quinn's father stumble out of the house followed by thrown clothing. She hardly spoke to her own parents anymore. It was a mumbled "good morning" and "good night" and that was about it.


	3. Chapter 3 and Epilogue

**Part III**

Rachel's relationship with her fathers gradually progressed back to normal with help from a few therapists and Rachel agreeing to go on anti-depressants. The doctors that told her she'd outgrow most of her allergies had basically given up after she'd turned eighteen. The allergies were only slightly more difficult to trigger than they had been when she was younger but were still abnormally sensitive. Rachel stayed on her plethora of medicine and kept her epi pens close.

Her Dad came home one summer day after she'd turned nineteen smiling like Rachel hadn't seen him smile in years and sat her down in the living room to talk.

"I got you a job, sweetie."

Rachel furrowed her eyebrows.

"It's at the hospital, on the night shift. It's not much but it's something for you to do! You'll be at the information desk in the general care ward. You'll be answering phones and dispatching nurses to rooms if the patients need something."

Rachel shrugged. "Okay."

She found herself at a desk the next night staring at the phone. There was a small air purifier on her desk and the surrounding area and things on the desk had been sanitized with what her fathers gave the cleaning staff. She was on shift from ten at night until five in the morning, her dads arranged their work scheduled around picking her up and dropping her off. The first night there were two calls from patients asking for water. Rachel mostly played solitaire on the workstation computer.

Rachel felt a sense of pride when she got her first paycheck. Her Daddy took it to the bank and opened a checking account and she got her own card. She had no idea what she was going to buy or how she would buy it but it was her money and she could do whatever she wanted with it. Getting out of the house was the main perk. Over the weeks she had her dads buy little things for her at the store just because she had the money. She had a new lamp and some new Bedazzling jewels and a new mirror. She was thinking of buying her own laptop but would have to wait a while to save.

She kept working as the years went by and although the job was boring and mundane she still loved getting to leave the house. It seemed like she blinked again and it was the early summer and she was twenty-four, still sitting at the same desk the same time every night. After winning her sixth game of solitaire for the night Rachel sighed and rolled her chair around the desk a little bit. Her break was in five minutes and she was getting restless. She read over the giant whiteboard on the wall and when she saw it, her heart stopped.

Quinn Fabray. Room 304.

The second her relief nurse showed up at the desk Rachel bolted. She came to a screeching halt in front of room 304 and didn't even hesitate before she stepped into the room. The first bed was empty, Rachel tiptoed to the second and her heart jumped at the sight of a blonde curled up on her side in bed, her body moving up and down with her breathing. Rachel knew better than to touch anything, the cleaners the hospital used elsewhere than her desk were most definitely not organic or safe for her. All she could do was stare. She had no idea why Quinn was there and that in some conditions it was bad to wake the patients…but she had to.

"Quinn?"

"Mmm." The blonde shifted a little but stayed asleep.

"Quinn, please wake up."

"No more shots," Quinn mumbled.

"Quinn…Quinn, it's Rachel."

Quinn's eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright in bed then whimpered and clutched onto her lower stomach.

"Quinn, I'm so sorry…"

"Rachel? Rachel, you're really here?"

"Yeah."

"What are you doing here?"

"I work here. What are you doing here?"

"Appendicitis. I had it taken out yesterday but there was some complication or something. They wanted to keep me for a few days."

Rachel was quiet, she swallowed hard and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as she stared into the eyes of her once best friend and the girl she'd loved. The girl she still loved.

"I went to college," Quinn broke the silence. "Well, I'm still going. I'm going for my Doctorate. I was…I was thinking I'd go into allergy research."

"Yeah?" Rachel grinned.

Quinn pushed the button on her bed to make it incline and she lay back and stared up at Rachel. The brunette couldn't see very well, the only light that was coming in was from the hallway and the lights outside. It was enough, though. Enough to see Quinn's slightly matured features and her beautiful eyes and messy blonde hair that was splayed out on the pillow.

"I hoped one day I could cure you."

"My doctors say I'm a hopeless case."

"Your doctors don't care about you like I do."

Rachel squeaked, Quinn tucked her lower lip between her teeth.

"I'm sorry, Rachel…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. God you've probably met someone else that knows what you're going through, I don't even know why I assumed you'd ever give another thought to me."

"I'm here, aren't I? I saw your name on the patient board…of course I've given thought to you. Every single day, Quinn."

"So…what now?"

"Well, when you're fully recuperated I would like to invite you to dinner."

"Do you still live…"

"With my dads, yes. However, they can no longer argue that I'm simply a teen and don't understand things. They will have to simply get over it."

Quinn smiled. "I'd love to."

Rachel bounced a little and glanced up at the clock. "I have to get back to the desk."

"When's your next break?"

"In a few hours, you should rest though."

"Maybe." Quinn grinned and nuzzled her pillow. "See you later."

Rachel barely sat down in her chair when the phone rang and the number on the screen flashed 'Room 304'.

"Can I help you?" she answered.

"So," she heard Quinn's voice, "there's this really cute brunette working the desk, I was wondering if you could put me through to her."

"Quinn, you should be sleeping! Rest is essential to a proper recuperation."

"I can sleep later."

"If this gets me fired…"

"Hey, at least it's not phone sex. Unless you want to…"

"Quinn!"

"What are you wearing?"

Rachel stifled a giggle. "You are highly inappropriate."

"You can't blame me. I may or may not have pushed the pain medicine button right after you left."

"Do you need me to dispatch a nurse to get you anything?"

"If you want to come give me a sponge bath that'd be awesome." Quinn's voice was starting to slur. Rachel rolled her eyes and grinned.

"I will ignore that comment in light of the fact that you're currently suffering from the effects of a high-level pain medication. You should hang up before you fall asleep."

"I shooooooould."

"I'll come check on you in a little while. Goodnight, Quinn."

"Mmmm. G'niiiight."

Rachel chuckled as she hung up the phone. On her next break she ran to Quinn's room, the blonde was snoring softly. Rachel stood by her bed and watched over her, smiling down at the young woman.

"It's creepy to watch people sleep," Quinn mumbled, opening one eye.

"I didn't want to wake you."

"Still, creepy."

"Says the woman who suggested I give her a sponge bath."

"When did I do that?"

"When you called me earlier after our first visit."

"Mmm. Pain medicine."

"Yes. Unfortunately I must get back to my work station. I'll check on you before I leave and see you tomorrow night, alright?"

Quinn smiled. "I'll miss you."

"You had better get some rest between now and then."

"Just for you," Quinn whispered.

Rachel poked her head in the room just as she was leaving her shift. Quinn was sleeping soundly, the brunette didn't want to wake her so she quietly dropped the note she'd written the blonde next to her in bed and tip-toed out to meet her Daddy in the parking lot.

Quinn's stay lasted three days, Rachel spent every break and a few minutes before and after her shifts with the blonde. The night before Quinn was scheduled to go home Rachel brought in a bag of everything she'd need for the dinner they'd scheduled for two days after. Quinn rummaged through the bag first thing and hopped up out of bed to go to the sink. Rachel sighed and scolded her, Quinn just giggled. She washed her hands and face with the provided soap, dried off with the all organic cotton towel and grinned at the small brunette.

"I've wanted to do this again for a really long time," Quinn said, stepping closer to Rachel.

Careful not to touch the brunette with anything but her hands she cupped Rachel's jaw and pulled her in for a kiss. Rachel sighed into it and her hands went to cover Quinn's and then to the blonde's face. The need for air separated them but Rachel dove right back in until she heard her name being called from one of the nurses. She checked the clock and groaned, she was three minutes over on her break.

"I'll see you in a few days," she whispered before pressing one last kiss to Quinn's mouth.

Rachel asked for Friday off and requested that he fathers do the same thing. When preparing dinner she pulled four plates out of the cabinet and her fathers furrowed their eyebrows.

"I've invited someone to dinner," Rachel said. "And I'd very much appreciate it if you gave her a chance. I provided her with the appropriate clothing, soaps, and disinfectants."

Her fathers both sighed and gave a simultaneous, "Okay, Rachel."

Rachel stood staring at the door for five minutes after seven o'clock and with each passing minute her heart sank a little. Just as she turned to go take the fourth plate away from the kitchen table the doorbell rang. Rachel shrieked and jumped toward the door, her fathers' quick footsteps came up behind her as she opened the door. She motioned for Quinn to come inside, the blonde smiled and handed Rachel the bag she'd provided her with. Rachel dropped it on the foyer floor and took Quinn's hand to lead her inside.

"Dad, Daddy, you remember Quinn Fabray."

Her fathers nodded, stunned.

Dinner was quiet until Rachel heard Quinn growl and start talking.

"I'm going to med school," the blonde said, her voice laced with malice from an eight-year-old grudge. "I'm studying allergy research. After I had my baby and gave her up for adoption I got my life back together and graduated valedictorian. I have one more year of school before I get my Masters and then I want to get my Doctorate and find a cure for Rachel. How have you been, Mr. and Mr. Berry?"

Rachel reached over and took the blonde's hand as her fathers chewing slowed to a halt and they both swallowed. The brunette looked expectantly at her fathers as they exchanged glances.

"Dad, Daddy, Quinn asked you a question."

"We heard her," her Daddy said. "We're doing well, Quinn."

"Glad to hear that," Quinn said with a nod. "I have an apartment in Columbus, I don't know if Rachel told you. I'd like for her to come visit."

"I don't think that would be a good idea."

"I'm twenty-four, Daddy," Rachel said. "I think I can make that decision on my own. I'd love to visit."

"You'd get sick, Rachel. There's a lot to do to prepare..."

"It's a small space," Quinn said. "There isn't much in it and I clean with organic products. I have air purifiers going all the time." There was silence as the blonde took a few more bites of her all-organic lasagna. "I like to be green and when I looked for organic cleaners I recognized one of the names as the one on a bottle of body wash Rachel gave me - you remember when. So I order everything from them."

"I am firm in my belief that Quinn is more than prepared to receive me as a guest when she returns to Columbus based on the information that has been provided. Until then I wish to continue seeing her here and I request privacy when asked."

Rachel's father, mouths agape, both nodded a little. Rachel squeaked happily and squeezed Quinn's hand. The blonde gave a small smile and a nod to Rachel's fathers.

After dinner Rachel went to the linen closet and retrieved a sheet (the familiar one from years ago had long since been thrown out due to it becoming threadbare) and she and the blonde ventured out into the Berry's back yard. Rachel lit the lanterns and they splayed out the sheet on the ground and lay back. Rachel snuggled up to Quinn's side, draped an arm over the blonde's waist, and settled her head on Quinn's shoulder.

"It's going to take a really long time for them to not hate me, isn't it?" Quinn sighed as the pair looked up at the twinkling stars.

"They're over-protective, Quinn. I've been sick since the day I was born, they don't know how else to act."

"I could take care of you," Quinn whispered.

"You want to take care of me?"

Quinn nodded.

"I think we should establish a courtship before we begin thinking about who should be taking care of whom."

"No one uses that word, Rachel."

"My knowledge of dating and relationships comes entirely from films and romance novels."

"In the twenty-first century we call it dating," Quinn said. Rachel could hear the smile in the blonde's voice. The brunette playfully swatted at her friend's chest. Quinn giggled. Rachel stretched up and let her lips brush against the underside of the blonde's jaw and propped herself up on her elbow to hover over Quinn. She grinned before dropping her head and connecting her lips with the woman underneath her. Quinn's fingers threaded through her hair and pulled her closer until she was straddling the blonde's hips and exploring every inch of Quinn's neck with her lips, tongue, and teeth.

"I swear to God if your dads interrupt us this time I won't be responsible for my actions," Quinn mumbled.

Rachel giggled against pale skin and settled one hand on Quinn's ribcage and the other keeping herself propped up just a little. Lips connected again and Rachel moaned into Quinn's mouth. The pair kissed until they were breathless and desperate for air.

"Are you okay?" Quinn asked.

"If you're concerned about my state of flushed cheeks and breathlessness I can assure you that the cause is not one of an allergic reaction."

Quinn shook her head and giggled. "I almost forgot how much you liked to ramble."

"I do _not_ ramble! I thoroughly explain."

"Whatever you say, Rach."

Rachel responded by sinking her teeth into Quinn's neck. Quinn gasped and gripped tight onto Rachel's waist.

Quinn was at the Berry household nearly every day while finishing her summer vacation. Rachel finally convinced her dads to let her leave at night with Quinn to go out and after extensive instruction to Quinn on how to administer Rachel's epinephrine, the men consented. The pair went to the park usually, taking a blanket with them to sit out by the pond.

"I wish we could come during the day," Rachel sighed one night. "I've heard that feeding the ducks is quite entertaining."

"Someday," Quinn said with a smile. She tightened her grip on Rachel's shoulders and sighed.

The next thing Rachel was aware of was her face buried in Quinn's neck an extremely warm sensation on the back of her neck and the inability to open her eyes without pain shooting through her head. She panicked when she realized what was happening. They'd fallen asleep and the sun was coming up.

"Quinn," Rachel whimpered, "Quinn, wake up."

Quinn groaned and opened her eyes. Rachel started shaking. Once she saw realization hit Quinn's face there was a flurry of activity as Quinn grabbed the blanket and threw it over Rachel and pulled her to the car. Rachel trembled at the burning sensation on her arms and legs and knew that within hours she'd be covered in painful blisters. She'd woken with her face covered which hopefully meant no blisters.

"Do you want to go home or the hospital?" Quinn asked, her voice panicked.

"Hospital," Rachel murmured. She knew her Dad would just be starting his shift in the ER. She also knew she'd been in the sun for at least half an hour and it was going to spell disaster.

Quinn visibly cringed.

Rachel cried out when Quinn brushed against her arm as she helped her into the ER and cringed again. She murmured repeated apologies to Rachel and tried desperately not to look at the diva's quickly blistering arms and legs. The nurse at the desk went wide eyed when Rachel stepped into the ER and ran to the back, returning with Rachel's Dad. His eyes flickered back and forth between the pair before he pulled his daughter away from Quinn.

"Mr. Berry, I…"

"Go home," he growled.

"Dad, please, it's not her fault."

Quinn narrowed her eyes and dropped to a seat in the ER waiting room.

Rachel did her best to keep the pained tears from escaping as she was immediately taken upstairs and a nurse helped her into a cool bath while her Dad dealt with housekeeping and getting the sheets he kept stored onto the bed and the area cleaned. Rachel took deep breaths to fight off the nausea but lost and the nurse was there to soothe her as she emptied her stomach. Rachel cried from the pain, from the nausea, and thinking how she desperately wished Quinn was there.

After a cool bath the nurse started an IV and Rachel waited for her Dad to come back with her dermatologist. Dr. Wynn gave a soft smile when she saw Rachel in bed and checked over her skin, her smile dropping at the blisters.

"How long were you out, Rachel?"

"Half an hour at the most," Rachel said with a grimace as Dr. Wynn gently examined her skin.

"Not good."

"I fell asleep." Rachel's eyes darted up to her Dad standing nearby. "It was no one's fault but my own. I should've set an alarm."

"I'm going to start you on some steroids," Dr. Wynn said. "And I want to keep a close eye on these blisters, if any of them open up they could get infected. If everything goes alright you should be able to go home in a few days and back to normal in a couple of weeks or so."

Rachel nodded. Dr. Wynn made a few notes on her chart and nodded to Rachel's dad on her way out.

"Rachel," the man said sternly, "this is serious."

"If you think for one moment about blaming Quinn for this, Dad, I can assure you that I'll remain extremely angry at you for quite an extensive amount of time. I should've set an alarm as per normal but it slipped my mind. Now, if you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you call her and inform her of my whereabouts as she is probably still sitting in the emergency room."

"Any one of these blisters could get infected and easily cause a lot of damage."

"And I know that you, an excellent physician, won't allow that to happen."

"Stop trying to butter me up." The corners of his mouth twitched and he crossed his arms over his chest.

Rachel stuck her lower lip out in a pout. "So you mean you won't be caring for me?"

"Rachel," he chuckled, "you know I'll take care of you, sweetie. But you need to understand-"

"I do understand, Dad. I understand the seriousness of the situation but unfortunately I'm only human and humans make mistakes. Now, will you please inform Quinn of my location?"

Rachel smiled as her Dad pulled his phone from his pocket and she recited Quinn's number to him. In a matter of minutes there was a blonde standing in her hospital room doorway wringing her hands nervously.

"Hey," Quinn spoke softly.

"It's alright, Quinn," Rachel assured her. "Dad knows this wasn't your fault. You're not angry with her, are you Dad?"

Rachel's Dad shook his head. "Not at all, Quinn."

Quinn nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Rachel said. "I should be getting something for the pain soon so my coherent state won't last much longer. I'd very much like a kiss or two before I begin drooling all over myself."

"I'm going to uh, go call your Daddy," Rachel's Dad mumbled as he scurried out of the room. Quinn crossed the floor and carefully brushed Rachel's hair out of her face. Rachel smiled, glad that at least one part of her body could have Quinn's touch.

"I'm so sorry," Quinn said. "I'm so, so sorry Rachel."

"This isn't your fault."

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"I'll be just fine. The immediate concern is the blisters but with care they should be gone shortly. I'll be back to full health, as healthy as I can be anyways, in a few weeks."

Quinn leaned down and brushed her lips against Rachel's. "I wish that could save you from all of this," Quinn mumbled when she pulled away.

Rachel smiled up at her girlfriend with her brightest smile. "You saved me the first time you ever spoke to me, Quinn. You gave me something to look forward to, something to live for," Rachel said. Quinn's eyes welled up and Rachel wished she could reach up and wipe away the streaming tears but every time she moved it was painful and so she watched, broken hearted, as Quinn wiped away her own tears and then kissed Rachel's forehead.

"I'll take care of you, okay? Nothing will keep me away from you anymore. Not fences or going back to Columbus or anything. I'll figure it out."

"Quinn, I assure you I'll be fi-" Rachel was cut off by soft lips on hers and she just couldn't continue the argument. Especially not when Quinn's tongue touched hers.

"I'll take care of you," Quinn murmured again, this time with more insistence.

Rachel smiled. "Okay, Quinn."

Quinn finally smiled and pressed her lips to Rachel's once more and Rachel sighed contentedly. It wouldn't be easy, she knew. There would be a lot of adjusting and change from what she'd been used to for her life but her life had overcome barriers (most literally in the form of a fence) and she had survived those and she was sure that she could overcome anything.

**Epilogue**  
"Hey Guinea Pig," Quinn greeted her wife with a bounce in her step.

Rachel chuckled and carefully stood and placed their eighteen month old sleeping son into his playpen. Quinn held up a paper bag and shook it, a grin plastered on her face.

The pair had married just before Quinn started working toward her Doctorate. A year after she graduated with honors she gave birth to their son, Nathan. Quinn was working at an allergy clinic in Lima with a team to treat patients and find a cure for Rachel. So far there had been two failed trials (one of which while Quinn was in med school) but the series of injections that they were currently testing that had shown promising results on the lab rats. Rachel had been taking the injections for two months and had noticed a significant improvement but they hadn't done official tests.

The injections wouldn't do anything for the sun allergy; that was dermatological and although the reaction had gradually become less severe, there wasn't much research being done locally to significantly decrease the severity of the reaction. The other allergies, however, could quite possibly be almost eradicated with the new drugs that Rachel had been on.

Rachel took a deep breath and held out her arm. In the paper bag Quinn was carrying were the test supplies to check for reaction. Rachel's epi pen was on the coffee table, ready just in case. Quinn quickly set up and started the scratch test. Her hands shook a little as she waited for Rachel to start wheezing and gasping and breaking out in hives.

When five minutes went by and Rachel's skin remained clear, Quinn checked the allergen bottles to make sure she'd grabbed the correct ones. She read them all over and over and kept checking Rachel's arm. A few tiny red bumps showed up on some of the pollen allergens and grass but other than that the tests were clear.

"How do you feel?" Quinn asked in her "doctor to patient" tone.

"So far so good."

Quinn pulled her stethoscope off of the coffee table and listened to Rachel's lungs. Her breath sounds were strong and healthy, not even a slight trace of wheezing.

"What's the prognosis, doctor?" Rachel tucked her lower lip between her teeth and held back the excitement that was threatening to burst out of her. With the previous trial it had been disastrous and had taken an epi pen and a Benadryl injection to get her allergies under control.

"We can't look too far ahead but…"

"But there's hardly a reaction," Rachel finished. Her lips broke into a grin and she pulled her wife to her, their lips crashing together.

"I told you," Quinn mumbled, "I told you I'd save you."

"You know you already did, sweetheart." Rachel threaded her fingers through Quinn's hair and smiled. "A long time ago."


End file.
